durkee



3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. B. DURKEE.

HARP.

(No Model.)

No. 437,918. Patented Oct. '7, 1890.

.Mw @9 www m.,

I (No Model.) A 3 sheets-sheen 3.

G. B. DURKEE.

HARP, N0. 437,918.

Patented Oct. 7,I 1890.

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE B. DURKEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON it IIEALY, OF SAME PLACE.

HARP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,918, dated October 7, 1890.

Application filed September 21,*1889. Serial No. 324,687. (No model.)

T @ZZ 10700771/ t may cmwrm accessible, to provideaniore durable construc- Be it known that I, GEORGE B. DURKEE, a tion,and to dispense with the weight incident citizen of the United States, residing at Chito metal tie-pieces heretofore employed to concago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinect the doors. 55 nois, have invented a certain new and useful I also provide at the point where the upper Improvement in Harps, of which the followend of the upright portion of the body joins ing is a specification. the neck or upper transverse portion of the Prior to my invention the hollow body of body a joint adapted both tov avoid the gap a harp has been provided with a series of lonheretofore frequently produced at such point 6o io gitudinallyarranged oblong openings or slots under the strain produced by tightening up and a set of doors for opening and closing the the strings and to avoid the cracking orsplitv same, and as a means for opening and closing ting heretofore common to wooden joints at the doorsfromthesound-pedalsaid doors have such point. To such end I provide a metal been connected together by metal bridge-irons vjoint-piece, which is at said joint rigidlygse- 6 5 formed to straddle the transversely-arranged cured to one section of the harp-body, but so i wooden ribs which are commonlysecured withfitted to the opposing section as to be capable in the hollow harp-body. Tith such arrangeunder strain of a slight yield, without, howmcnt the ribs are placed at points between ever, disclosing any separation between the the openings and have a bearing upon the opposing ends of the two sections. 7o 2o body at such points as well as along the re- As afurther feature of improvement, Icross maining portions of the body with which they the longitudinal opening in the harp-body are in contact. The bridge or tie pieces emwith a brace-handle, which, while affording ployed to connect the doors as aforesaid prean exceedingly convenient handle,which can vent the doors from being opened inwardly be taken hold of in lifting the instrument, 75 z 5 as far as is desirable, owing to the fact that braces the partially-divided body and holds they will strike against the ribs when the it against any disposition to spread apart or doors are swung inwardly, and, moreover, the open wider under strain. portions of the body between the openings In the accompanying drawings, Figure l fail to give as great an area of opening as represents in perspective a harp embodying 8o 3o should be provided for the production of the my invention. Fig. 2 represents on a larger n maximum volume of tone. scale a section taken transversely through the In carrying out my invention I provide the harp-body at a point adjacent to the braceharp-body with a single long opening, which handle. Fig. 3 represents a section taken i extends continuouslyalong such portion ofthe longitudinally through a portion of a harp- 85 length of the harp-body as it may be desired body, having a series of openings and a set to open, and for the purpose ot' opening and of doors arranged in the old way. Figli repclosing such opening I provide a single door. resents in perspective a longitudinal section In order to permit such arrangement of openof the harp-body with the door omitted, so as ing and closing the door, I so bend the ribs to show more clearly the ribs and opening. 9o

4o along their middle portions that they shall Fig. 5 represents a part portion of the harparch over the opening, and thereby provide body nwith a portion broken away at the joint,

ample space wherein the door can be swung so as to show the joint-piece, which is repreinwardly. `The objects of this construct-ion sentedincross-section. Fig. Gshowsthejointare to avoid the objectionable features herepiece in perspective, and Fig. 7 is a plan View 95 inbefore specified as incident to the old conof the saine.

' struction,and,further, to dispense with means The inclined portion A of the harp-body, for connecting doors, and thereby provide a which rises from the base of the instrument, simpler and more economical construction, to is provided with an oblong opening B, which permit the door to be opened wider than has extends the greater portion of the length of roo 5o heretofore been attained with the series of such part of the instrument. The openingB doors, to render the interior of the body more is opened and closed by a single door C,which is suitably hinged to the harp-body and which can be' operated from the sound-pedal in any suitable way, it being considered unnecessary to herein show means for thus operating the door, since, if desired,.means such as heretofore employed for operating a series of connected doors can be employed for operating the single door.

The wooden ribs D are reversely bent at their middle portions, as at d, so that they will 'arch over. the opening B and provide space for the door to swing in, as illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the door swung inwardly is indicated in dotted lines. v

At the joint occurring between the sections a and a" of the harp-body a metal j oint-piece E is rigidly secured against the end of one of the sections, but fitted upon the end portion of the other sections, somewhat as a collar or ferrule` to which end the joint-piece has a flat bearing-face e, which is tted against one section, and a continuous iiange e', which is closely fitted upon the other section, as best shown in Fig. 5. The joint-piece can be rigidly secured to either section, but is herein shown secured by screws to the upper section a. When the body is subjected to a considerable strain by reason of the tightening up of the strings, the flange portion of thejointpieceanr-have a slight slip upon the bodysection a, so that in place of breakage or exposure of any gap between the abutting ends for opening and closing the saine, and ribs which at points opposite said opening set back Within the harp-body, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination,with the harp-body hav- Aing a longitudinal opening and a door therefor, of the ribs formed to arch over said opening, so as to provide room for the door to swing inwardly. Y

3. A harp-body provided at the joint with a metal j oint-piece secured to one section and tted upon the end portion of the opposing section, substantiallyT as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The con1bination,with the harp-body hav'- ing a longitudinally-arranged opening, of the'.

brace-handle secured to the harp-body at opposite sides of Said opening and arranged'to cross the same, for the purpose described.

j GEORGE B. DURKEE. Witnesses:

CHAs. G. PAGE, A. L. CoATEs. 

